The Plight of a Cleveland Sports Fan
So yesterday, I got to experience the joy that is Opening Day for the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Progressive Field, on a beautiful 60 degree March afternoon in downtown Cleveland. It was an exciting, back and forth game between the Tribe and White Sox. Of course, the home team Indians pulled out the win with a clutch double from Casey Blake (my current personal favorite player) in the eighth inning. But I'm not here to just write about how awesome Opening Day was.
You see, the Indians haven't won a World Series since 1948. The Browns have never played in a Super Bowl (but they did win the NFL championship in 1964), and were shipped to Baltimore in 1995, leaving Cleveland without football until 1999, when the new Browns have left a legacy of disappointment, making the playoffs only once in those nine seasons, and losing in the first round. Finally, the Cavs have made it to the NBA Finals only once, where they were promptly swept. Think about it, some of the greatest plays in sports history- The Catch (Willy Mays), The Drive (John Elway), The Shot (Michael Jordan), all came against Cleveland teams. Honestly, can you blame Cleveland fans for thinking the city is just cursed? I mean, we are the only major city who have managed to set our river on fire. I'll repeat that one if you didn't catch it the first time. We set our RIVER on fire.
And yesterday, I had to see White Sox slugger Jim Thome hit two two-run home runs off of Indians star pitcher C.C. Sabathia (who may or may not resign with the Indians at the end of the season). Of course, if you know your sports, you also know that White Sox slugger Jim Thome was once Indians slugger Jim Thome, and is the team's all time home run leader (334) and holds the team single-season home run record with 52 in 2002. Naturally, following that season, he promptly left Cleveland, where he had made his name and established his career in search of a bigger paycheck and a chance to make the playoffs again, as the Indians were not in contention in that time. He has yet to reach the playoffs since leaving the Indians. Still, it is difficult to see him in a different uniform. In my eyes, he is no better than Manny Ramirez and Albert Belle, both of whom left Cleveland in search of bigger paychecks, and are universally despised by Indians fans everywhere. However, somehow Thome garners some applause at the Jake Progressive Field, and for what, I am not sure. Regardless, it seems like Cleveland fans just can't get anything to go in their favor.
For an example of this, one need look no further than last October, when the Indians, who made an improbable run to the American League Championship Series against Boston, and took a three games to one lead over the Red Sox, suddenly found themselves outscored 30-5 in the final three games of the season, and found themselves one win short of a World Series berth. The Red Sox, of course, led by former Indians great Manny Ramirez, swept the Colorado Rockies in four games to win the World Championship, their second in four years. Obviously, I, as a Cleveland fan, was devastated, but remained optimistic for 2008.
Then the Detroit Tigers signed Miguel Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, and Dontrelle Willis, three huge additions for the Indians' division rivals, giving them almost inarguably the best lineup in baseball, as well as a solid rotation, while the Indians made almost no off-season moves.
Still, I remain optimistic for this season. The Indians are a team that has the depth and talent to weather the storm of a 162 game season, and the skill and wisdom to survive an ultra-competitive October playoff series. I firmly believe in this team, and firmly believe that this could be the year that the Indians finally overcome their 60 year slump and win a World Series. Of course, I said that in 2006, too. Only time will tell how long this Cleveland curse will last. It is the waiting, I suppose, that is the true plight of a Cleveland sports fan.
Still, perhaps the wait will make victory, when it finally comes, that much more special and important.
Anyways, what I'm really trying to get at is that I fucking hate Jim Thome. That guy sucks.
You see, the Indians haven't won a World Series since 1948. The Browns have never played in a Super Bowl (but they did win the NFL championship in 1964), and were shipped to Baltimore in 1995, leaving Cleveland without football until 1999, when the new Browns have left a legacy of disappointment, making the playoffs only once in those nine seasons, and losing in the first round. Finally, the Cavs have made it to the NBA Finals only once, where they were promptly swept. Think about it, some of the greatest plays in sports history- The Catch (Willy Mays), The Drive (John Elway), The Shot (Michael Jordan), all came against Cleveland teams. Honestly, can you blame Cleveland fans for thinking the city is just cursed? I mean, we are the only major city who have managed to set our river on fire. I'll repeat that one if you didn't catch it the first time. We set our RIVER on fire.
And yesterday, I had to see White Sox slugger Jim Thome hit two two-run home runs off of Indians star pitcher C.C. Sabathia (who may or may not resign with the Indians at the end of the season). Of course, if you know your sports, you also know that White Sox slugger Jim Thome was once Indians slugger Jim Thome, and is the team's all time home run leader (334) and holds the team single-season home run record with 52 in 2002. Naturally, following that season, he promptly left Cleveland, where he had made his name and established his career in search of a bigger paycheck and a chance to make the playoffs again, as the Indians were not in contention in that time. He has yet to reach the playoffs since leaving the Indians. Still, it is difficult to see him in a different uniform. In my eyes, he is no better than Manny Ramirez and Albert Belle, both of whom left Cleveland in search of bigger paychecks, and are universally despised by Indians fans everywhere. However, somehow Thome garners some applause at the Jake Progressive Field, and for what, I am not sure. Regardless, it seems like Cleveland fans just can't get anything to go in their favor.
For an example of this, one need look no further than last October, when the Indians, who made an improbable run to the American League Championship Series against Boston, and took a three games to one lead over the Red Sox, suddenly found themselves outscored 30-5 in the final three games of the season, and found themselves one win short of a World Series berth. The Red Sox, of course, led by former Indians great Manny Ramirez, swept the Colorado Rockies in four games to win the World Championship, their second in four years. Obviously, I, as a Cleveland fan, was devastated, but remained optimistic for 2008.
Then the Detroit Tigers signed Miguel Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, and Dontrelle Willis, three huge additions for the Indians' division rivals, giving them almost inarguably the best lineup in baseball, as well as a solid rotation, while the Indians made almost no off-season moves.
Still, I remain optimistic for this season. The Indians are a team that has the depth and talent to weather the storm of a 162 game season, and the skill and wisdom to survive an ultra-competitive October playoff series. I firmly believe in this team, and firmly believe that this could be the year that the Indians finally overcome their 60 year slump and win a World Series. Of course, I said that in 2006, too. Only time will tell how long this Cleveland curse will last. It is the waiting, I suppose, that is the true plight of a Cleveland sports fan.
Still, perhaps the wait will make victory, when it finally comes, that much more special and important.
Anyways, what I'm really trying to get at is that I fucking hate Jim Thome. That guy sucks.